Social Studies Teachers’ View of Kilis as an Out-of-School Learning Place

Abstract

This research aims to reveal how social studies teachers working in Kilis evaluate the city's resources as an out-of-school learning environment. Using a case study, a qualitative research design, the study group consisted of 21 social studies teachers working in state schools in Kilis. Participants were selected using criterion sampling. A semi-structured interview form was used as the data collection tool, and the obtained data were analyzed using content analysis. According to the analysis results, social studies teachers working in Kilis evaluate the main advantages of the out-of-school learning process as: enabling learning by doing and experiencing, ensuring more permanent learning, and offering students opportunities to gain experience and make observations. On the other hand, teachers see permission procedures, security, and discipline issues as the main disadvantages. When evaluating Kilis in the context of out-of-school learning, social studies teachers highlighted the museums, Oylum Höyük, Ravanda Castle, historical Kilis houses, historical mosques, and Kilis bazaar as the most useful learning environments. However, it has been observed that teachers in Kilis have been unable to incorporate these resources into the teaching process due to various reasons, primarily security concerns, overcrowded classrooms, and insufficient parental support. These findings reveal that despite the educational potential of Kilis' rich historical and cultural sites, they are not being fully utilized due to practical obstacles. Based on the opinions of social studies teachers, the extracurricular learning environments needed in Kilis include museums, science centers, zoos and botanical gardens, historical sites, cultural parks, and traditional craft workshops. Accordingly, diversifying and developing extracurricular learning spaces in the city will contribute to students' more effective engagement with local history, culture, and nature.